The decline and fall of the Roman Empire

The Roman Empire changed dramatically following its near collapse in the third century CE. The central government grew bigger, becoming more present in the lives of its subjects than ever before. This transformation also saw the emperor Constantine adopt Christianity and we will examine the impact of this on Roman conceptions of the body and permissible sexual behaviour. Finally, we analyse the factors that led to the breakup of the Roman Empire in the west. Making use of a wide variety of sources, including art and architecture, the aim will be to see how life changed for Romans of all classes.